Press Release

Children's Hospitals Call on Congress to Act Now to Pass CHIP Legislation

Media Contact

Washington, D.C. — Today, the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee each approved bills that would extend funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Last week, federal funding for this critical program expired — a program that covers more than 6 million of our nation’s children. We are pleased that both the House and Senate proposals call for extending CHIP for five years and also both include maintenance of strong program funding levels and important patient protections. Children’s hospitals call on Congress to move quickly to pass a five-year CHIP funding extension and protect other critical safety net programs.

Created in 1997 with strong bipartisan support, CHIP was designed with children in mind and includes child-appropriate benefits, access to pediatric providers and cost-sharing limits to protect vulnerable children and families.

On behalf of our nation’s children’s hospitals and the patients and families they serve, the Children’s Hospital Association asks lawmakers to extend CHIP now. Children that count on CHIP are counting on Congress.